Needle lubricating mechanism



Aug. 18, 1936. E'ELLIQTT 2,051,250

NEEDLE LUBRICATI'NG MECHANISM I Filed Dec. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v o 4 O I 9 0 Wiheaa Jwe'wr @A M W Aug. 18, 1936. H. E. ELLIOTT NEEDLE LUBRICDATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1934 UNITED STATES PATEiNiT' oFFieEi NEEDLE LUBRICATING MECHANISM Harold: Ernest Elliott,

Leicester, England; as-- signer to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. .J., a corporation of=New Jersey- ApplicationDecember 5, 1934, Serial'No; 756,103 In Great Britain March 9, 1934' 6 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and is particularly, but by no meansexclusively, concerned with sewing machinesfor operating on thick stubbornmaterials; such' as leather.

In the boot and shoe manufacturing industrysewing machines are used to -unite the sole of a welted'boot or shoe'to its welt by stitches passing throughthe sole-and the -welt ,*and'oiling devices have been providedfor oiling *the needle" of such machines. Inproviding for the oilingof the needle it isvery-essential-that just sufiicient oil shall be supplied to keepthe needle lubricated when the machine starts to operate-andduring theoperation of the machine: Iftoo little oil is' supplied to the needle; theneedle'isiapt to'be broken; and if too much'oil'is-supplied, the oil is apt to splash-on to and" damage the work;

It is also" desirable that' the: needle shall be lubricated when themachine stops so that during the time thatthe' machine is standing idle any sticky matter'onthe needle shall; asfar as possible, be prevented from; becominghard and'causingthe needle" to stick'in the needle guideand' be broken when the machineii's again started.

One ofthe severalob-jects .of'the present'invention is toprovide forthe'lubrication of 'the needle of a. sewing-machine so'that'lthe' needle is at all times adequately'lubricatedz.

One of theseveral'features of the. present in? vention resides in a' needle lubricatingldevicefor.

a sewing machine having means; to supply. lu.-' bricantzto the needleiandmeansto control'the supply so that oilis deliveredto the needle when.

the machine stops. and starts and at predetermined intervals during the operation of the. ma-

chine;

The above and" other. objectsand the severalfeatures of the invntlonwill. become apparent from a consideration-of thefollowing description given'by way of example of a preferred form of needle oilingmechanism according totheinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of asewing machineillustrating. the said preferred form of needle oiling mechanism; Figure 2 is a. side. elevation of the. said needle oiling mechanism to: a larger scale The preferred form of mechanism includes a pump, indicatedat I, similar'to that described'in the latter specification. Thispump comprises a cylindrical and relatively small oil chamber which is supportedon a'vertical stem-2 passing axially 5 through the chamber and secured-to afixed part dof themachine. The said'stem has'a bore'6 formedaxially in it and its upper end projects just beyond the-upper endof the'oil chamber. The lower end'of the stem projects downwardly be- 10 low the bottom of the oil-chamber for some distance and the diameter'of thebore in thestem below the bottom of "the oil chamber is relatively small (1; e., is approximately one third of that of the stem)- while the diameter of the bore in 15 the stem just abovethebottom'of the" oil chamber'is somewhat larger. A plunger3 passes downwardly into the bore in the stem and is of a diameter equalto that ofthe relatively small bore in the lower end of'the'stem, the'1ower end of the plunger entering into therelatively small bore. A recess I0 is provided inthe upperend-of the stem and aspring [2 bearing at its" lower end against thebottom of the recess andat its upper end against the underside of a head M'formed on the top of the plunger tends to lift theplunger upwardly.

A hole l6 is-boiediradially in the wall ofthe stem just above the bottom oftheoil chamber. A duct" I8 isdrilled axiallyalong' the plunger for a short way'from itslower end, and communicates by a radial hole 20 drilled in the. plunger with the hole l6 in'the stem when the plunger is lifted by. the spring I2i aforementioned. The bore in the stemnarrows down to a neck 22 some distance below the, lower end of'the plunger and a ball 24; is urged upwardly against the. underside of the neck. to close the bore byr aspring 26 which is suppo'rted'by the upper end of a pipe 28Iwhich is fitted intothei lower end'ofthe bore. 40 Thus, when the plunger is. in the position shown in. Figure 4,.oil may flow from. the container through the holes l6 and through theduct 18 in the lower. endofg'the plunger into the narrow bore in the stem 2" below. the plunger, which bore is normally'closed by'the said ball24; Byv pressing'upon theupper end of the. plunger 3, the latter can be urged downwardly along the stem. and; when it-has been lowerediso far that thejradialihole 20 in the'lower'end of the plunger no longer communicateswith the hole l6, continued downwardmovement'ofi the plunger will force oil out. of the; narrow borebelow it" and'past. the ball '24, the' latter yieldingj downwardly against its spring.

2 i j I V 2,051,250

The pipe 28 has a'fine boreand serves to conduct the oil forced out of the stem by the a, work as possible and is brought to its highest plunger on 'to a 'needle' guide which surrounds the shankof the needle to support it against flateral bending as it pierces the work. The

needle guide is given rocking movements along the'needle to support the latter as "close to the and rearmost position when the machine stops,

as more particularly described in the specifica-' tion of British Patent No 410,497'above referred to. The needle guide has an opening through it containing a felt pad through which the oil dropped on to it from the pipe 28 may seep on to the needle.

The plunger is at its upperend'pivotally connected to the lower end ofian upwardly extending toggle link 5. The upper end of the plunger 3 has a screw threaded connection with a pin 1 on which the link 5 is pivoted so that the plunger may be "adjusted vertically to ,vary the amount of oil supplied by the pump at each depression of'the plunger. 1 The plunger is secured in the pin 1' by a screw 9; The upper end of the link 5 is pivotallyconnected to a second upwardly extending toggle link H. The upper end of the toggle link H is pivoted at 13 on a'bracket 15 secured to the framesof the machine. As the toggle is straightened the plunger 3 of the pump r 25 to the machine frame. v The otherarm of the lever 23 is connected by a rod 21 to an arm 29 secured on a rock shaft 3 I.

Theshaft 3| is rocked in one directionwhen the machine starts and. in the opposite direction when-the machine stops, as described in, the specificationpf- British Patent No. 410,497. Movement ofthe lever 23, by its connection to the rock-shaft 3| or by a spring 33, in either direction, causes the toggle to straighten and to move t'otheopposite side of the aforesaid plane solthat each time the machine is started and stopped, the plunger 3 of the'oil pump l is actuated to supply oil to the needle.

lWhen the joint of the toggle is on that side 7 of the aforesaid plane to which it moves, when the machine is started it," as shown in Figure 2,

is engaged by one arm of. a cam lever pivoted at 31 on the aforesaid bracket I5. The other arm ofthe cam lever carries a cam roll39 which is held, by the spring 33 connected to thecam.

lever135 and tothe arm l'l, againsta .cam 4| secured on a shaft 43, rotatably mounted in said bracket l5 and rotated by suitable means from the driving shaftof the'machine,

,the toggle to be straightened or substantially straightened and the pump plunger 3 to be'depressed sufficiently to supply a drop of oil to the needle; 1 During the straightening of the toggle by the 'cam 4l,the screw I9 moves away from the lever 23. V

' aforesaid, as hereinbefore described.

Conveniently in the arm H The spring 33 which is connected to the cam lever 35 and the arm I! of the upper link ll of V the toggle, besides holding the cam roll 39 on the link I I of the toggle against the cam lever.

The cam 4| is formed so that it actuates the cam lever 35 four times during each revolution of the cam and is preferably rotated atsuch a speed thatthe' cam lever is actuatedto supply oil to the needle during the operation of the ma chine once in about every fifty cycles of the machine, i. e., about fifty stitches are formed between successiveactuations of the'pump plunger by the camduring the operation of the machine. 7 If, for example, the machine is caused to operate cam lever 35against its cam 4|, also holds the at one thousand revolutions per minute the cam will rotate at five revolutions per minute. 'The'.

shape of the cam may be such, however, as to cause a drop of oil to be supplied to the needle after any desired number of stitches have been formed. i

From what has been said above, it-will be' understood that on the starting of the machine 7 a drop of oil is automatically supplied to the needle. and when, during the operation of the machine, the cam lever 35 is first actuated by z the cam 4|, the pump plunger 3 is depressed to supply a further drop of oil to the needle. The

number of cycles of the machine and the nummanner after about every fifty stitches have been formed and, when the machine comes to rest, a drop' of oilis supplied to the needle by the movement of the toggle across the plane While the device justdescribed in detail has:

been consideredas applied to a needle oiling device in whichthe oil is droppedpn to 'the'n eedle guide or on to a pad in the needle guide and by not a necessary condition. For instance, the device described in detaillabovemay be applied to a needle oiling device which, by means: of a brush (to which the oilis suppliedliapplies the oil tothe needle between its point and the needle V the latter applied to the, needle, this isobviously guide as,for example,'is disclosedin the applica- I tion of Otto F. ,Hoppe Serial No. 717,212, filed March24,1934.' 'i l .j The nature and scope .ofthe invention having been indicated, and a construction embodying the several features of the invention having been described, what is claimed is: j V

'1. In a sewingv machine, the combination with a needle, of a needle lubricating mechanism comprising. a reservoir for lubricating material, means comprisinga conduit for conducting lubri-l cant from the reservoir to the needlaand means driven fromthe'machine operating periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles and during the continued operation of the machine in sewing a seam to supply lubricant from the reservoir to the'conduit. Q i j 2. In a sewing machine, thecombination with a needle, of a'needle lubricatingmechanism comprising a reservoir for" lubricating material,

means comprising aconduit for conducting lubri-" lubricant fromthe reservoir to the conduit, and;

means operating periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles and during the continued operation of the machine in sewing a seam to lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with a needle, of a needle lubricating mechanism comprising a reservoir for lubricating material, means comprising a conduit for conducting lubricant from the reservoir to the needle, means operating upon starting and stopping the machine for supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit, and means operating periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles to supply lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination with a needle, of a needle lubricating mechanism comprising a reservoir for lubricating material, means comprising a conduit for conducting lubricant from the reservoir to the needle, means comprising a plunger for supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit, and a cam and suitable connections for actuating said plunger periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with a needle, of a needle lubricating mechanism comprising a reservoir for lubricating material, means comprising a conduit for conducting lubricant from the reservoir to the needle, means comprising a plunger for supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit, connections actuated I in starting and stopping the machine for actuating said plunger, and a cam acting through said connections to actuate the plunger periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with a needle, of a needle lubricating mechanism comprising a reservoir for lubricating material, means comprising a conduit for conducting lubricant from the reservoir to the needle, means comprising a plunger for supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit, toggle links connected to the plunger, means actuated in starting the machine for moving the toggle links in one direction to actuate the plunger, and in stopping the machine, to move the toggle links in the opposite direction to again actuate the plunger, and a cam arranged to move the toggle links to actuate the plunger periodically after a plurality of stitch forming cycles.

HAROLD ERNEST ELLIOTT;

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,051,250. August 18, 1956,

HAROLD ERNEST JELLIOT'I'.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring orrection as follows: Page 5, first column, line 5, claim 2, after the word "to" insert supply; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may Conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of October, A. D. 1957.

Henry Van Arsdale. (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

